Arthur Charles Karger III

The family of Arthur Charles Karger III will celebrate his life of 79 years at 2:00 PM MDT on Saturday, June 4, 2022, at the 3rd and Central Church of Christ, Lovington, NM with burial in the Lovington Cemetery to follow. Beginning at 4:00 PM MDT, his family will host a time of fellowship and remembrance in the Lovington High School gym. He passed on Thursday, May 19, 2022, in Lubbock, TX. We invite you to view the live-streamed service and sign his virtual guestbook here on this page.On March 10, 1943, Arthur Charles was born to Arthur and Jean Karger in Douglas, AZ. He married Simone McKiddy on October 5th, 1967 in El Paso, TX.Art was a proud graduate of NMMI & UTEP. He began his career in education as a teacher in Lamesa, TX, and also taught in Springlake Earth, TX prior to moving his family to Lovington, NM in 1976. While in Lovington, he was esteemed & respected within the school system in his roles as teacher, principal, superintendent, and coach. In addition to having the privilege of coaching his two sons & nephew, one of the highlights of his coaching tenure was in 1983 when he led the .500 Lovington varsity boys basketball team to a state title. Among his many career accolades, he was honored as Teacher of the Year at LHS and was also chosen by his peers to be inducted into the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame.His commitment as an educator & coach was surpassed only by his dedication to his family. He cherished his time with his wife, sons, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and his beloved dogs. He was a proud man of God and an active member of his church. He was loved by many and will be missed dearly.Survivors include his wife, Simone Karger; their sons, Scott (Lisa) Karger, and Bryce (Adrian) Karger; grandchildren, Devin (Eric) O’Connor, Clay (Landrey) Karger, Brannon Karger (fiancé Reagan Carthal), and J.T. Karger; great-grandchildren, Abigail Karger, Cameron O’Connor, C.J. Karger, and Evan O’Connor; sisters, JoAnn (Kent) Lovelace, and Candy (Curly) Singh; sister-in-law, Camille Wood; niece, Michelle (Michael) Linville; and nephew, Shannon (Paige) Wood.He was preceded in death by his parents; great-grandchild, Evelyn O’Connor; and brother-in-law, Bobby Wood.